DIS officers pay for Kgosi’s ‘sins’

Mpho Mokwape | Monday June 12, 2023 06:00

Many officers have alleged that they are now paying for former DG Isaac Kgosi ‘sins’ as they are seen as his allies rather than the unit’s employees.

This is said to be subsequently causing a rift within the spy unit and reportedly posing a threat to national security.

Mmegi is in possession of information alleging that about 300 officers of the Directorate are reportedly dejected by the DG and their employer, especially about their progression, which allegedly has favoured just a few.

Currently, the officers have engaged legal assistance to address their grievances and information reaching Mmegi alleges that their legal representative has a confidential agreement with the officers’ employers which is yet to be communicated to the officers.

According to insiders who spoke to Mmegi on condition of anonymity, the officers feel victimised and discriminated against simply because they served under Kgosi before Magosi took over. “We are victims of Magosi and Kgosi wars and we are not happy about how things are done within the unit. This is not only detrimental to ourselves but to the national security. Magosi seems to be only in favour of those officers that came under his directorship,” inside officers alleged.

The employees say they feel they have been treated unjustly especially when it comes to promotions as they are sidelined while even some of their juniors who are seen as Magosi’s allies benefit. “Many of us were supposed to have been promoted or fast tracked but that has not happened. Magosi has been promoting juniors and leaving some of us who are seniors on lower positions simply because we are seen as not 'his'. Progression is also slow and benefiting a select few,” the inside source further alleged.

The officers who feel sidelined have alleged that during Kgosi’s time, they were informed that they would be duly trained either through short courses or scholarships so they could benefit during promotions.

However, the disgruntled officers have said since then there has never been any skill upgrading and no training from the unit. They said getting promoted has been tough as those with qualifications progress easily. “We took the former DG’s directive as it was announced and many of us didn’t take the initiative to train ourselves further as we were promised to be trained.

This has resulted in us being stagnant in our positions as we do not have the desired qualifications. Those who enter the DIS with qualifications are the ones who are getting promotions. This is not fair on us because had it not been such a directive we could have sought our own training to attain certain qualifications,” the officers explained.

Still on the fast tracking of employees’ progression, the officers have also bemoaned that the DIS continues to ignore a court order that was issued against all ministries for salary scales and a subsequent directive by the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM) enforcing the judgment. The employees' concerns are in relation to the DPSM directive reportedly meant to fast track progression of public servants in the C-band category but at the DIS, it has been alleged by some employees that things have not been effected as per the directive. According to the officers, in 2007 the government introduced multiple titling and grading of C-band positions through a Savingram DPSM 13/34/9 (43) dated May 30, 2007.

The directive was reportedly meant for all ministries but with the government realising many were not complying as a follow up to the 2007 Savingram, the government issued Directive No. 6 of 2008, where the objectives of multiple grading and titling was vividly set out. The Directive allowed for direct appointment of graduates with appropriate academic qualifications at entry level but without experience and to facilitate faster progression of serving officers who qualify for promotion without the need for ministries to request for additional posts or resources. With both the 2007 Savingram and the 2008 Directive on multiple grading and titling of C-band positions being applicable to all ministries, the DIS officers allege that they were also included but have not yet benefited from the Savingram and the Directive.

“As of today, the undertaking has not been honoured as some of us have not benefited. Only a select few have indeed been promoted. We have instituted legal assistance to seek direction as we are also entitled to benefit from the Directive. The enforcement of the undertaking that was made by ministries for the employees also meant that we the DIS officers who are on C-band had to benefit which has not happened,” the officers said.

The officers said they are hoping that with legal help they would also benefit from the Directive and that it would be effected once an amicable agreement has been reached.

In response to the allegations, the DIS's chief spokesperson Edward Robert said yesterday: 'The Directorate through its Director General Brigadier Magosi places staff welfare above all other considerations. This is because the DIS knows it can achieve its mandate only through a committed staff. To show his commitment to this principle, when DG Magosi assumed office, he prioritised promotion of officers who had stagnated for a long time, with some having never been promoted since the inception of the Directorate. These were officers he found at the Directorate when he joined, contrary to the allegations that the DG promoted only those that he recruited.' He explained that regarding officers on C-band, the Directorate just like other ministries in government, was affected by the Court of Appeal judgment on multiple titling and grading of C-band positions.

He added that the Directorate has since upgraded all the affected officers to the required salary scales as per the orders of the court, 'and the only thing remaining is payment of basic salary arrears for the affected officers.' The spy unit spokesperson admitted that the processing of the arrears proved a long and tedious process due to the number of officers involved but assured that the Directorate has since completed the process and submitted a request to the Finance ministry for funding.

'In acknowledging the sensitivity of the matter and the resultant inconvenience on our staff, the Directorate management has been engaging the affected staff members on the matter to give them assurance that they will be paid their dues. And we are happy that our staff continue to show understanding and commitment to an amicable resolution of the matter,' Robert said.